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Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors

The Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors comprises approximately 75 alumni led by a Chairman and a Vice-Chair who are members of a twelve-member Executive Committee. The Board’s mission is to guide and support the fundraising programs of the Alumni Fund, Yale’s annual giving program, to raise unrestricted gifts for immediate use. The group meets three times during the fiscal year to review Alumni Fund progress and policies and to determine appropriate goals and strategies.

As the leadership group selected from over 2,300 Alumni Fund volunteers, the Board of Directors plays a critical role in encouraging fellow alumni to support Yale. Annually, the Alumni Fund raises over $25 million in current use, unrestricted non-endowment funds. Unrestricted annual gifts are critically important to Yale, because it would take approximately $500 million in endowment to generate $25 million of yearly income.

Members of the Board of Directors are elected for a three-year term from Class or School Chairs or Agents of the Yale Alumni Fund who have shown leadership and innovation in that role. Members may serve two consecutive terms. Each year a Nominating Committee is convened to consider new candidates. In addition to demonstrated performance and the ability to motivate and encourage peer agents, demographic factors such as Class/School year and geographic distribution are also considered. Each decade of Yale College is represented on the Board, as are the Graduate and professional schools.

The Board of Directors’ primary responsibilities include staying informed about Fund and University activities and using that knowledge in their fundraising efforts on behalf of Yale. In addition, board members may be asked by the Board Chairman to play an advisory or oversight role for a particular area of Yale fundraising. Members are also encouraged to attend volunteer events, and to share Yale and Fund information with fellow volunteers.